Improvement in winding-clicks for watches



. G. T. 'HIGGINBOTHAM.

Winding-Click for Watches.

No. 204,150. Patented May 28,1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. HIGGINBOTHAM, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEHAMPDEN WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WINDING-CLICKS FOR WATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,150, dated May 28,1878; application filed April 10, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known thatI, OHAs. T. HIGGINBOTHAM, of Springfield, in the State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in WVatches;and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to the winding-clicks of watches, and is especiallyadapted to such watches as have the click and ratchet located beneaththe dial, the object being to provide a cheap and simple means ofletting down the mainspring; and it consists of a click provided with aprojection protruding through, or partially through, a slot or openingmade in the plate, the combination of th e said click, ratchet,

and recessed plate being substantially as hereinafter described.

Figure I is an enlarged plan view of the lower plate of a watch, withthe winding mechanism made according to myinvention in position; andFig. II is an enlarged plan view of the click made according to myinvention.

In the drawings, A represents the lower plate of a watch; B, theratchet, and C the click pivoted to the plate, and provided with a tailor projection, I). A part of the plate A is milled out or cut away atthe outer edge, forming a slot or recess, 0, through which, or partiallyso, protrudes the tail or projection 11 of the click, as shown clearlyin Fig. I.

The click is operated, to let down the mainspring, by pressing thefinger-nail against the end of the tail 1) of the click, thus releasingor disengaging it from the teeth of the ratchet B, and permitting themainspring to be unwound or let down. Removing the pressure against thetail of the click allows the point of the click to resume its positon ofengagement with the teeth of the ratchet.

It is obvious that the tail of the click may be made of any desired formbest adapted to be operated by the finger without departing from theprinciple of its operation.

I am aware that various devices have heretofore been made and used toaccomplish the same purpose-as, for example, a perforation of the plate,intowhich a pin is inserted to raise the click; but this isobjectionable, both on account of necessitating the extra piece or pin,and also of the difficulty in holding the pin in the proper position.

A screw or cam has also been inserted in the plate, so that by turningit into the proper position the clickspring v would be raised. This isalso objectionable, as it requires a separate piece, which must also beturned back again after using, to allow the spring to operate.

These objections are not found in my invention, as no separate piece isrequired, and the click itself is easily operated with the fingerwithout removing any of the parts from the watch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is Thecombination of the click C, provided with the tail or projection b, theplate A, hav ing the slot or recess a therein, the ratchetwheel B, andthe click-spring e, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

CHAS. T. HIGGINBOTHAM.

Witnesses '1. A. (loans, 0. E. BUGKLAND.

